1935-36
OFFSEASON
The mess that was the St Louis Eagles/Ottawa Senators has finally folded dropping the league back down to 8 teams. The word dynasty is being bandied about when you refer to the Toronto Maple Leafs, as the team is about to take aim at it's fifth straight Stanley Cup. Toronto has added another good young player to it's already outstanding core as Gordie Drillon will make his debut this season. Other notable rookies in defenseman Babe Pratt with the New York Rangers and two-thirds of the famous Kraut Line making a debut in Boston: 20 year old Bobby Bauer and 18 year old Woody Dumart.
The biggest move of the off-season saw the Detroit Red Wings deal young goaltending prospect Turk Broda to the Montreal Canadiens for a package of players led by 25 year old Obs Heximer, a left winger who had 11 goals and 26 points last season. With the deal it looks like Lorne Chabot will become the Red Wings goaltender. Chabot won back to back Vezina Trophy's to start the decade but has played sparingly the last two years bouncing back and forth between Toronto and Detroit.
REGULAR SEASON
The Toronto Maple Leafs once again had the best regular season record as all three members of the Kid Line finished in the top 10 scoring leaders. As usual Boston and the Rangers battled all season for top spot in the American Division but we did finally get a new playoff participant as the Montreal Canadiens surpassed the Maroons to get their first taste of post-season action in the sim.
Goaltender Turk Broda (11-11-8, 2.39) gave the Canadiens some stability in net while veteran forwards Howie Morenz (12-20-32) and Aurel Joliat (17-12-29) proved they still had something left in the tank.
Rangers center Frank Boucher (21-38-59) won the scoring title while Eddie Wiseman of the Red Wings led the league in goals with 27. Hard nosed Boston defenseman Eddie Shore set a sim record with 139 minutes in penalties but it was shy of the NHL record Shore set pre-sim with 165 in 1927-28.
Code:
AMERICAN DIVISION GP W L T PTS
Boston Bruins 48 26 19 3 55
NY Rangers 48 24 17 7 55
Chicago Black Hawks 48 18 26 4 40
Detroit Falcons 48 17 26 5 39
CANADIAN DIVISION GP W L T PTS
Toronto Maple Leafs 48 33 10 5 71
Montreal Canadiens 48 21 21 6 48
Montreal Maroons 48 19 26 3 41
NY Americans 48 15 28 5 35
SCORING LEADERS TEAM GP G A PTS
Frank Boucher NYR 48 21 38 59
Marty Barry BOS 48 24 27 51
Bun Cook NYR 48 22 28 50
Joe Primeau TOR 48 14 36 50
Eddie Wiseman DET 48 27 22 49
Charlie Conacher TOR 47 20 28 48
Syd Howe DET 47 19 26 45
Busher Jackson TOR 48 18 24 42
Dit Clapper BOS 45 12 29 41
Paul Haynes MM 48 15 25 40
PLAYOFFS
The Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers easily advanced to the finals. Toronto dispatched Boston in 5 games while the Rangers knocked out playoff newcomer Montreal Canadiens in 5 as well.
The Leafs took game one of the finals on home ice by a 3-2 score as Charlie Conacher scored once and assisted on King Clancy's game winning goal. Game Two was all Toronto as the Leafs peppered Ranger goaltender Derek Garbutt with 41 shots in a 4-0 Toronto victory. Primeau, Lynn Patrick, Fred Robertson and Art Jackson scored for the Leafs. Alec Cornell made 22 saves in the Leafs net for his first shutout of this post-season.
Back on Madison Square ice for Game Three the Rangers were a completely different team as they dominated in a 4-0 victory of their own. Garbutt made 28 saves while Babe Pratt and Frank Boucher each had a goal and a helper for the Rangers. It was more of the same in Game Four as the Rangers evened the series with a 5-2 victory. Defenseman Earl Siebert, who scored just 6 times during the regular season, led the Blueshirts with 2 goals and a pair of assists.
The series returned to Toronto for Game Five and again the home team emerged with the win, this one 5-2 in the Leafs favour. It was tied at 2 after forty minutes but the Leafs broke it open with goals from Nick Metz, King Clancy and Bob Gracie in the third period.
Frank Boucher would force a 7th game as the Rangers scoring star notched the only goal of Game Six as New York won at home 1-0 on a 26 save performance from Garbutt.
The Rangers would push the defending champs to the brink but in the end the Leafs would hoist the Stanley Cup for a fifth straight year after a 3-1 victory in Game Seven. After a scoreless first period Joe Primeau and Bob Gracie would each score power play goals just over 2 minutes apart in the second period to stake Toronto to a 2-0 lead after forty minutes. Babe Pratt would give the Rangers hope with a goal 4 minutes in to the third but the hope would be dashed 10 minutes later when Flash Hollett, on a nice setup from Busher Jackson, scored to restore Toronto's two goal lead.
25 year old Bob Gracie would lead all playoff performers with 5 goals and was tied with Leaf teammate Lynn Patrick for the playoff scoring lead with 10 points, one more than Joe Primeau. However, the Conn Smythe Award as playoff MVP went to another Leaf, 24 year old rearguard Flash Hollett, who had 2 goals and 7 points while playing flawless defense.
Here are the other award winners:
VEZINA: Alec Connell of Toronto (30-8-5, 1.71 GAA)
NORRIS: Red Horner of Toronto (48GP 13-25-38)
CALDER: Herb Cain of Boston Bruins (46 GP 18-15-33)
HART: Eddie Shore Boston Bruins (48GP 5-23-28)
ART ROSS: Frank Boucher of New York Rangers (48GP 21-38-59)
The game does not select the all-star team but I will start naming first and second team all-stars
Code:
POS FIRST TEAM SECOND TEAM
G Alec Connell Toronto Tiny Thompson Boston
D Eddie Shore Boston King Clancy Toronto
D Red Horner Toronto Babe Siebert Mon Maroons
C Frank Boucher NY Rangers Joe Primeau Toronto
LW Bun Cook NY Rangers Busher Jackson Toronto
RW Eddie Wiseman Detroit Charlie Conacher Toronto